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Battle of the Nova Stronghold
The Battle of the Nova Stronghold was a week long fight between the United Forces and Heartland armies. After the destruction of Solomon, the two factions waged for control of the city. In one of the bloodiest battles of the campaign, the Heartland Ground Forces, after much effort, managed to wipe out the defending force of the Nova Building, a commercial skyscraper that had been occupied by the Republic militia. Geography The battle took place in a commercial district of Solomon called Fritzieger, located on the North-western outskirts of the City. Prior to the town's destruction by the Sunrise Device, the area was highly populated, and was a main centre for business, manufacturing, and housing. Comprised mostly of tower blocks, over 400,000 people lived in the relatively small district of Fritzieger. The area was also a crossroad for commuters in the city; aside from being located next to two large motorways, the district was also home to one of the Solomon Metro hubs. The Nova Building, situated in the centre of the district, was a commercial building that finished construction in ERA 09-98. Since it was erected, the complex served as both a business park and administration office. The first five floors were devoted to shops, restaurants and other businesses, including a recruiting office, supply station and bank. The rest of the ten stories were offices, most of which belonging to the United Forces Government, for administration or trade purposes. Interestingly, the command centre for the UFSOU was located on the second-to-top floor, disguised as an industrial accountancy firm. The Nova building is located on Main Street, opposite the SATR Hotel. As Fritzieger is located on the outskirts of the city, military bases have been constructed for its defence. Warrior 34 Barracks is located approximately 2km from the Nova, connected via the R34 Motorway. A logistics station is also located just inside the district. The two motorways, the R34 and R18, lead to the West and South of the City of Solomon, respectfully. Other areas of interest include the National Bank of Norta Headquarters, and Middle Park, a small grassy area to the West. Destruction On the 21st October ERA 09-20, Fritzieger was caught in the Supernuclear Explosion of the Sunrise Device, which obliterated the city of Solomon. Many of the tall skyscrapers collapsed, and entire blocks of the city crumbled under the huge shockwave and burned in the immense heat of the fireball. May of the hundreds of thousands of people who lived, worked or travelled through the district were killed instantly. The underground metro hub also collapsed, trapping thousands of commuters in the tunnels below the city. Despite the destruction, the Nova Building stood standing, albeit sustaining exterior and structural damage; the first few bottom floors were practically flattened by the fireball of the explosion, and falling debris. Although the bomb destroyed many of the large towerblocks, a few still stood, some leaning against each other, or supported by other collapsed buildings. Other structures, including the Hotel and the Bank survived, however the interior of the Bank was inaccessible as the roof had fallen in. Approximately 950,000 people died in the area of Fritzeiger; most of whom were killed in the initial explosion, with many more dying in the minutes and hours afterwards, due to either exposure to radiation or dehydration from the Microwaves. Other deaths included suffocation in the debris, external injuries, overheating and shock. Battle In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, the nearby military bases on the outskirts of the North-West of the city moved in to aid survivors. Although many soldiers had succumbed to radiation poisoning, most of the troops of Warrior 34 had escaped the worst of the blast, as they had been called out of the city to prepare for its defense, as Heartland Forces were nearing their perimeter (see Operation Dusk's End). Most of the United Force's equipment was heavily damaged, however a small number of light vehicles had survived. On the 22nd of October, a mixed Heartland Infantry force reached Fritzeiger. The force had been attempting a flanking maneuver of Solomon by attacking from the North-West. The blast proved to be larger than the Heartland Commanders had been predicted, and they like many of their comrades were caught in the blast, with the survivors suffering from the same symptoms as the Solomon citizens. With most of their heavy equipment lost, and their numbers severely defeated, they pushed on into the city in a hopeless attempt to continue their duty. The UF Militia constructed roadblocks on the main roads in preparation for the attack, and setup their bases in the Logistics Station and the Nova Building. In the afternoon of October 22nd, the forces met, and a fierce battle commenced. A limited armour exchange took place, but the tanks of either side found difficulty in advancing through the rubble. By the morning of the 23rd, the Heartland Forces had occupied a large area near Middle Park, taking up firing positions in the skyscrapers, and steadily advancing through the devastated urban areas. The United Forces fell back in defence of the Nova Building, which had been reinforced with a number of firing positions including MG nests, snipers and Anti-Tank missile launchers. From October the 24th to the 31th, the force reached a near stalemate. Heavy street fighting from infantry, light vehicles, tanks, and a small number of helicopters greatly depleted the numbers of the two armies. The two forces waged full on warfare by day, and conducted sudden strike raids during the night. Many died where they stood watch from exposure, and by almost a week into the fighting, some of the soldiers had gone blind from cataracts, or developed other serious illnesses. Nevertheless, the fighting went on, with Heartland finally gaining some ground on the Morning of the 29th by destroying many of roadblocks that had hindered their progress. The bloodiest fight occurred on the 30th of October, as Heartland Forces surrounded the Nova Stronghold. Heavy losses on both sides occurred, as the few remaining Tanks and Helicopter levelled the last surviving skyscrapers. By noon, the Heartland troops were dug in at a plaza some 100m from the ground floor entrance of the Nova Building. With their supplies cut off, many UF Soldiers retreated to the surrounding areas. Heavy fighting continued as Heartland troops stormed the building, finally putting an end to the defenders. The battle was over, and even though several counter-attacks by the United Force's attempted to liberate the base, non succeeded. Although the battle had been won by the Heartland Troops, very few survived. What was once a fighting force of thousands, with Heavy vehicles and equipment, were now a band of around 50 stragglers. Their status after this point is unknown; United Forces avoided the building during their operations in the city, and reports of sniper fire coming from the stronghold were registered from early December. It is possible that the soldiers escaped the city sometime afterwards, or perhaps held onto the position during the months that followed. However, intelligence in Solomon became increasingly difficult to gather as the radioactive dust settled, making it equally likely that the soldiers died of exposure, starvation or fighting amongst themselves. Category:Premier Timeline